1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to animal traps and more specifically, to a trap particularly suitable for catching mice and other small rodents in a disposable container which may be re-used or readily discarded after its use without requiring exposure of the trapped rodent.
Improved traps of this type are found in U.S. Pat. Nos.: 4,550,523, 4,500,524, and 4,578,892.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,550,523 by Robert S. Spiller teaches a reusable or disposable rodent trap, having only two discrete parts, consisting of an unstable, tiltable enclosure, upon whose exterior surface is mounted on a rotating door member with elongated side panels, which is prevented from rotating whenever the entrance side of the enclosure is downwardly inclined. Contact between the elongated door side panels, and the surface upon which the downwardly inclined enclosure rests, provides the rotation impediment. A rodent traversing the length of the enclosure to reach bait at the closed end causes the enclosure to incline upwardly, allowing the door to rotate closed by gravity. The rodent's return to the entrance end causes the enclosure to again assume a downward inclination. Since the door cannot be rotated in either direction when the enclosure is downwardly inclined, the rodent, which will die of asphyxiation within hours, may be disposed of by simply inverting the trap.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,550,524 by Joseph A. Goebel teaches a rodent trap characterized by a rodent receiving chamber, a partition selectively movable across the chamber in a rodent eradicating relationship, a movable floor portion continually urged to an overlying position with respect to a rodent receiving tray, where the floor portion moves with the partition and cam action releases the floor portion to the aforesaid overlying position. A pressure sensitive switch holds the rodent bait and initiates sequential operation. The trap further employs a two-way solenoid for partition movement and a one-way gearing arrangement for selective floor portion position control.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,578,892 by Melvin M. Melton teaches an animal trap especially suited for trapping rodents such as mice or other small animals, comprising a disposable, elongated container having two contiguous bottom surfaces forming an obtuse angle therebetween and a hinged door for selectively enclosing the container after the animal has entered and sprung the trap. When set, the trap rests on a first of the two bottom surfaces with the door held elevated from the container to permit an animal to enter the trap. The second of the two bottom surfaces is elevated from the underlying support surface. When the animal enters the portion of the container where the bait is positioned, the animal's weight lowers the second bottom surface and elevates the first bottom surface releasing the door and closing the container trapping the animal. The door is sealed by magnetic force and/or a latch which hooks into an aperture in the first bottom surface. The trap is especially configured as an intergrate unit for low cost manufacture by means of molding or extruding various plastics.
The device covered by U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,550,523 and 4,578,892 teaches a door closure that must rotate toward the open end of the container for closure. For door closure in this manner, the surface in front of the open container must be substantially flat for the door to completely close. A trap of this type is not suitable for use out-of-doors where the supporting surface is not always flat, for example, on lawns, cement, brick pavers or similar terrain or in-door where long stranded or shag carpet is employed as a trap supporting surface.
It can be seen that the aforementioned prior art patents disclose animal traps which obviates the risk of injury to the user while setting the trap and each discloses a device which is designed to contain the trapped animal thereby removing the requirement for observing and/or cleaning up the traps long well known in the rodent trap art. Unfortunately, in overcoming these disadvantages, the patented devices result in additional disadvantages which render them commercially undersirable for providing substitutes for the inexpensive convention and spring load trap. For example, as noted above, the door of the cited prior art will not fully close when slight obstructions are in their door swing closure path allowing a rodent that has entered to fully exit the device. The door actuation mechanisms requires an expensive labor step for attachment. For continued use, the traps noted above would have a short life due to required mechanisms. The U.S. Pat. No. 4,550,524 device is extremely complex in manufacture and operation resulting in extreme cost and probable failure.
There has not been an entirely satisfactory devise for ease of manufacture and operation which will withstand continued use until the emergence of the present invention.